food yoga

I must confess when I first thought about doing tofu meatballs I was skeptical. I’m not big on foods that try to be meat. You can’t call a carrot a burger, I won’t be duped. But always one to try anything once I plunged ahead and made these.

Yummalicious. Seriously. What they need is a publicist. Tofu meatballs just doesn’t work and Seasoned Tofu balls is just as absurd, but I digress. The Book of Yum had a recipe that was easy to prepare. The Book of Yum is a great blog dedicated to gluten-free vegetarian cooking.

2 lbs firm tofu, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 whole green onions, sliced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 1/4 tsp salt

one egg or egg substitute

generous amounts of freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated vegan or regular cheese (optional)

1/4 cup soy or regular yogurt whisked well

3/4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs, made in a food processor (I used panko)

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

more freshly ground pepper

2 or 3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°

Slice tofu horizontally and wrap in kitchen towels and put a cutting board on top of the wrapped tofu. Put something on top of the cutting board, like a pot, for additional weight. Leave it to drain for 20 minutes. Then wrap it in a clean thin cotton dishtowel, knead it and squeeze as much water out of it as possible.

Knead the tofu in a large bowl for five minutes and then add the garlic, green onions, salt, pepper, and cheese. Knead it for another few minutes. Whisk the egg and work it into the tofu dough.

Combine the ground bread crumbs, spices and pepper in a large flat bowl or pie pan. Make small, walnut-sized balls out of the tofu dough and roll each ball in the dough.

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron pan on medium and fry your tofu meatballs on each side until golden brown.

Top the tofu with some cheese and cook in the oven for abut 3 minutes

You could serve with a marinara and have a hero or hoagie because I’m from NJ and that’s what they are. I mean that’s what they should be called everywhere, because I’m from NJ and that’s how we roll.

I had mine on a salad. I also roasted a slice of red onion and orange bell pepper drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

This soup looks creamy and it has a creamy flavor without adding milk. I think if you wanted an even heartier flavor you could add orecchiette pasta. Those pasta cups would gently cradle this roasted flavor goodness.

Go for it!! Make soup!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste, for seasoning tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Dash of red pepper flakes

1 cup freshly chopped basil

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes.

2. In a large stockpot, heat the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil, and vegetable broth. Stir in the oven roasted tomatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat.

3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the stockpot, or transfer soup to a food processor or blender to blend. The soup should be smooth, with a few tomato chunks. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Note-be careful when transferring the soup to a blender or food processor. You may want to wait until it is at room temperature to blend. Blend the soup until it’s more smooth than it is, but not to a silky purée (You want to keep some of the chunky tomato flavor).

I love eggplant. I once someone who hated eggplant. We broke up. Not because of the eggplant. But it definitely should have been a warning sign.

Eggplant is delicious and versatile! It can be roasted, baked, grilled, sautéed, stuffed and in honor of this Meatless Monday- it can be blended into a delicious soup. I’ve paired the soup with an open-faced sandwich. The soup is substantial enough to have as a meal but dunking things into soup is a fun pastime.

Let’s stop the chit-chat and get down to business.

This soup does require a little more work than many soups which you can throw into a pot and simmer. The layers of flavor will make you glad you took the time to roast the veggies first. I’d never steer you wrong when it comes to soup. My soup game is pretty serious.

Ingredients

One whole eggplant peeled and cubed

One pound of tomatoes (of your choice) quartered

Two red potatoes cubed

One large onion- roughly chopped

Four cloves of garlic

Four cups of stock or water (but stock is yummier- for real)

One tablespoon flour

Italian seasoning – 2 heaping tablespoons

Crushed red pepper (optional)

Large pinch of salt

Olive oil

For the sandwich

Roasted red peppers (I used the kind in a jar)

Sautéed onions

Lettuce (your choice I had Boston on hand)

Lemon garlic aoili

Cucumbers

Feta

Bread – baguette (or your favorite sandwich bread)

Directions

Coat veggies with olive oil and spices.

Roast all veggies in a pre-heated 375° oven.

Transfer veggies to a large soup pot that has been heated with one tablespoon olive oil.

Add stock bring to boil add flour, stir and reduce to very low heat

Cook for another 45 minutes.

Transfer to blender in small batches and blend until creamy.

Return to pot and reheat for five minutes.

Sandwich directions

Use whatever ingredients move you.

I’ve had people say that they miss protein on a sandwich- add a bit of feta or mushrooms.

I love summer. The sun on my face and heat on my skin make me feel alive. It’s a time of year when ice clinking in tall glasses of water and taking big bites of fresh tomatoes off the vine is an acceptable dinner.

May-August is my time.

September is beautiful but makes me sad because cold weather is rolling in. You can’t see it but it’s there, hovering in the background.

But, I must admit there is something vaguely sexy about the fall. Turtlenecks and flip-flops are standard uniforms. It’s still warm enough to grab a drink outside, but you can rock a hat. The heat of summer still lingers in the air like perfume at the end of the day…

And while I miss summer, soup season makes it bearable. I am nothing if not a lover of soups.

This roasted cauliflower and carrot soup I found in the New York Times is a perfect blend of summer and fall flavors. The lemon keeps it light as the rooted flavors of carrot and cumin keep it grounded. It’s yoga, for your mouth. The miso adds umami. Its a soup that makes you want to lay down on your back and exhale… I took the liberty and added (and subtracted) a few things to suit my palate. Not that the Times doesn’t know their stuff but hey, I like things the way I like them.

All jokes aside, this is a great meal for after a long yoga practice or any kind of workout. The soup is filling without being heavy and the carrot salad has crunch with layers of sweet and savory because of the dressing. I had mine with bread because I’m a girl who likes to sop things up.

Don’t judge. Sometimes a dish is so good you want every drop. And the truth is, it’s much classier than me licking the bowl. I’ll let my dog keep that party trick.

Enjoy. Happy Meatless Monday.

Namaste y’all.

Ingredients

cauliflower- one head choped

carrots – one pound chopped

onion- one large chopped in chunks

garlic – one head unpeeled

celery- one stalk – roughly chopped

4-5 cups stock or water

corriander seeds- one tablespoon

cumin- one tablespoon

smoked paprika

salt pepper

juice from one lemon

lemon zest

cilantro (dried) – one tablespoon

olive oil

miso- 1 tablespoon

Ingredients for Salad

tri-color carrots

scallions

cucumbers

Dressing

balsamic vinegar

honey- one teaspoon

dijon mustard- one teaspoon

soy sauce

garlic- minced one teaspoon

Directions

Place veggies in a pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Makes sure to coat the garlic bulb with oil so it doesn’t burn.

Roast veggies and garlic bulb in 425° oven for 35-45 minutes (check frequently- I like veggies roasted but not mushy)

Transfer veggies to a large heated soup pot that has 2 tablespoons olive oil

Add spices and sauté veggies for six minutes

Add miso and broth

Bring to a simmer and then lower heat

Cook for 10 minutes

Blend until smooth in very small batches

Serve immediately

For the salad

I spiralized the carrots and cucumbers.

To make the dressing put all of the ingredients into a blender (or whisk in a bowl if you are looking for a forearm workout)

I cut the scallions into the thin slices and and tossed with the dressing.

I just read an article about the damaging effects of dividing time between a computer, phone, tablet and TV. It apparently shrinks the brain. So I’ve decided to put my phone away while I bounce from laptop, TV and kitchen while I type this post. I already feel smarter.

Earlier this week the mail delivered a treat. I’m now the proud owner of a spiralizer. Oh sure, many people have been using this for years, but since it’s new to me dear reader, it’s now new to you. This gadget has already changed my life. It transforms veggies into ribbony strands and curly shapes. And trust me, this isn’t just cool, the shapes allow for dressings and sauce to cling.

I spent my weekend enjoying this amazing east coast ‘pre-fall’ weather, bike riding, doing yoga and spiralizing everything I could get my hands on. On Friday I made a spiral cucumber, carrot, red onion salad. I added a bit of my lemon tahini dressing and tapped my toes as I chomped away. And since I’m pretty real with you when I write, I’m not ashamed to say that when I woke up at 3am for water, I had a large bite. I may or may not have had said salad for breakfast on Saturday.

Don’t judge.

Or do. I can take it.

No matter what your feelings, I’ll still share this easy Meatless Monday recipe.

Ingredients

squash zoodles (you can also use a mandolin- but I can’t really be trusted with one)

cherry tomatoes

red onions, very thinly sliced

mushrooms sliced (I used shitake, but hey grab whatever you have)

garlic minced (3 cloves)

spinach or any greens that are handy

olive oil- three tablespoons

splash quality balsamic

salt, pepper and white pepper

lemon juice from one lemon

In one pan sauté all of the veggies and ingredients except the zoodles.

Heat the pan (with 2 tablespoons olive oil) over medium heat first add the onions, then garlic, then the mushrooms.

In a second pan heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and quickly toss the zoodles for two minutes.

Combine the sauce and zoodles

Serve immediately

Delish.

Fair warning. Stay tuned for spiralizer recipes. If you see me running through the farmers market with loaded down with veggies and laughing with crazy eyes, keep movin’. It’s safer that way.

This week you may want to try lentils. My recipe this week is brought to you by the blog Zenfully Delicious. I love Indian food and Daal is an easy way to try something new. For those of you new to the idea of removing meat from your diet creating interesting meals is good plan to keep you on track. Finding ‘meat’ substitutes wash’t something that worked for me. Generally speaking, I found that having great meals that didn’t need meat was the best way to me to enjoy a meatless lifestyle. While Daal is considered to be an accompaniment to an Indian meal, I had it as a main dish with some salad.

The key to Daal is the tempering of the spices at the end. Tempering spices in Indian cooking is an essential step and depending on the dish is either done at the beginning of cooking or at the end. In the case of Daal it is done at the end.

With Daal you can spice this up as much as you want. I added Garam Masala, smoked Paprika and a few drops of mustard oil to my tempering mixture.

Today’s Special is a cute indie flick I saw on Netflix. The scene with the tempering of the spices is particularly funny.

In a large pot add 2 tablespoons olive oil ( you could also use butter or ghee but I’m keeping the dish vegan).

Saute onions, tomatoes and garlic

Add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro

Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat.

I deviated from the recipe here and added a little more spice. I like lots of flavor into the pot went more cumin, curry powder, red pepper flakes, freshly grated ginger and lime juice)

Prepare tempering ingredients by measuring them out first. Don’t mix them all together. I placed them on a flexible cutting board. The process happens quickly and it will burn if you try to gather the spices and temper at the same time. Ask me how I know this.

Simmer lentils for 20 minutes (or longer if you like them softer)

Temper the spices and add to the daal as it is finished cooking.

Stir in the tempered spices.

Serve over rice immediately.

Tempering Spices

Heat canola oil in a pan on a stovetop till it shimmers (should be hot). Turn off the heat. To this hot oil, add the cumin seeds, garlic, Serrano pepper and dry spices. Everything should sizzle in the pan. (Watch out for splattering spices during this process.)

I added a dollop of cilantro chutney which can be found in most grocery stores. In my pantry I also had some chickpea chips. Perfect for a garnish!

In the world of southern and soul food, collard greens are a staple. They are typically cooked with ham hock and lots of fat. And since the leaves are fairly tough cooking greens long and slow is what is thought to make them delicious.

Not so it seems.

While doing training at Integral Yoga, I’d pop downstairs to their grocery store for some tasty food cooked with love. One afternoon I discovered sautéed greens and haven’t looked back. They take 15 minutes and have a fresh, vibrant taste. You would think that with so few ingredients these would taste boring. You would be mistaken.

Y-um.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

Big bunch of greens – stems removed and shredded. (I used my bare hands and made it mini playtime)

5 garlic cloves minced

coarse salt (Maldon is my fave)

1/2 c water (or veggie stock)

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic by stirring constantly until it’s just about golden brown.

Add the greens, baby!! Stir in salt.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add liquid.

Cover and steam for 10 minutes.

If liquid is left in the pan turn heat to medium and quickly stir until liquid evaporates.

Et voilà!

These are so good I’ve been making batches and having them for lunch and with dinner. Tons of greens are available at farmers markets this time of year- so stock up!!!

I had these grand plans to make a tasty pizza with prickly pears goat cheese and caramelized onions. But it just wasn’t working. I tried, but square pegs, round holes and whatnot. The pears will make an appearance in another recipe. Now what should I have for dinner? I pulled out the tomatoes I had roasted and decided to make a grown-up pizza.

Pizza may not seem like typical healthy dinner fare, but if you keep the toppings in the veggie world it’s really not bad. Have a salad and you are set! I haven’t experimented with gluten-free dough, but it’s in the works!!! This pizza is about 300 calories (thin crust) for 1/4 of the pie.

It’s perfect for Meatless Monday. I topped this with my veggie of the moment, roasted tomatoes. Additional toppings were caramelized onions, fresh basil, feta and asiago cheeses. I used the cheese sparingly- less than a 1/4 total. I didn’t use sauce but instead brushed the crust with olive oil. Cheese is easily omitted- it could be substituted with a peppery jam!

Bake in a pre-heated 425 oven for 15 minutes!

I used tomatoes I roasted and pulled out a few things to make a yummy tasty pizza without sauce or mozzarella.

“I want to feel my life while I’m in it.”
– Meryl Streep
By the time that I turned 40 I was comfortable in my own skin. It wasn’t a parting of the Red Sea moment and angels didn’t sing. No huge party. The birthday itself was okay, but the sense of peace I’ve gained is constantly evolving and endlessly gratifying. I no longer obsess about what people think. I define my life by who I am and not by what I do for a living. And while I think the best years are ahead, I need to pay close attention to my health. My life journey now means incorporating changes to my mind, body and spirit.

Keep Your Mind Young

I can’t speak for all women (and at 40, I know not to), but I make sure to do the things that truly fulfill me. It’s important that I connect with my inner political animal and stay in touch with the world around me. Things weren’t always this way. In my 30′s I was informed but more centered around my own career. I didn’t have time for much else. While that definitely had its downsides I wouldn’t have changed anything. The life I have now is one that I love and without the path I created with my actions I might not be where I am. And while I’m not religious I have an appreciation and respect for the planet and my part in it. ‘An attitude of gratitude’ is my mind mantra.

Age Gracefully but Be Smart

I know that 40 is the new 30. Heck, I believe it! I’m lucky enough to have a mother who looks 20 years younger than she is, so I don’t look or ‘feel‘ 40. However, you can’t ignore some truths about getting older no matter how young you look. I keep a youthful glow by using an anti-aging moisturizer and drinking lots of water. Eating less is also a fact of life when you get older. The metabolism slows down. If you think the shift that happens in your 30′s is big, wait until 40. It was really big for me. Diet. Diet. Diet. I’ve cut down dramatically on white sugar and white foods. I’ve also embraced working out. My yoga practice and runs sustain me physically. Oh I’m not the size 4 that I was in my twenties, but I do love how I look and feel. When I was younger I lifted quite a bit, and when I hit 40, I realized that I needed to bring weights back into my life. Weight lifting can help women stave off osteoporosis. Speaking of my aging bones, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B and Omega 3 are a part of my daily regimen. My 40 year old body mantra is ‘you are your own best investment’.

My canvas shopping bags are good for the planet. What’s inside is great for me!

Keep Your Spirit Young

Yoga is more than something I do, it’s a way to live my life. By learning to move my body in different ways, I’ve also learned how to move my heart. Stress, anger and negativity does more to make me unhealthy than all the fat in the world. When I stay connected to my mat literally and metaphorically, I move through my day with a greater sense of self and responsibility to the world.

Getting older was never something that worried me. Maybe I’m unusual but I’m thrilled at watching how my life unfolds. My twenties were fun but I wouldn’t want to go back there. My thirties were incredible and helped to set me up to be a woman that relishes the skin that she’s in. I’ve made adjustments to my life so I can keep up with what’s in store! I’m excited to see what comes next!

I’m haven’t achieved enlightenment like Buddha, but with meditation I’m working on it.

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Grapedeals
know it can be tough to find a good bottle under the $20 price point. You can think of me as your wine savvy friend I am not affiliated with any wineries and am not getting paid so you can be assured that I am being honest!